A Night To Remember
by friztbe
Summary: My Bones Secret Santa 2014 entry for jazzyproz. Booth and Brennan each making plans for Christmas. Set after season 5. AU.


**A/N: Confession time: I full out panicked for a good 15 minutes when I saw who I got assigned to write for the Secret Santa fic exchange. I absolutely love her fics and considering this is my very first Bones fic I hope I can live up to her expectations. **

**So the prompt I got was pre/early relationship B&amp;B, family centric event and romance/affection.**

**Ok enough with this crazy babbling and on to the main point. Belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year jazzyproz! I know you didn't want any angst but there is just a teeny weeny bit in here which is mainly just to set the scene. I hope you had a great holiday and I apologise that this is slightly late.**

**Fox owns all of the characters and their quirks. I only own this storyline.**

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_Chapter 1: The Best Laid Plans_

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The alarm blared.

There was a groan from the lump on the bed, followed by a long muscular arm shooting out from under the blanket and fumbling for the source of the offending noise. The clock was finally located and with a _thump_, silence once again enveloped the room.

The same arm emerged from the blanket again, this time on the other side of the king size bed. The arm connected with the cool sheets the same time his brain registered that the woman he was expecting was currently halfway across the country.

The lump let out a disappointed grunt before the blanket was thrown off, revealing one Special Agent Seeley Booth. Reluctantly, Booth pushed himself off the bed and stretched, giving a satisfied grunt as his joints cracked.

Still half asleep, he made his way into the bathroom and began his daily routine.

Shower on.

Rinse.

Soap.

Rinse again.

Brush.

Shave.

Slipping into his bathrobe, Booth stepped out of the steamy bathroom and back into the chilly bedroom, drying his hair as he went. As he put on his suit, Booth wondered how the apartment he once felt was too small now feels big and empty. How big a difference the absence of one person makes.

Out of habit, Booth glanced at the calender on his way out and in that instant, he felt his heart soared a little. December 1st. Has it really been almost a year since they finally took that leap of faith? This would be their official first Christmas together and he was going to make it a great one for them.

This day was already starting to look up.

* * *

_December crept up on Temperance Brennan this year. _

_The date on her laptop's calendar caught her off guard for a split second. _

_'How did the year past by so fast?' She asked herself. Without meaning to, she clicked on the box that said '25' and a blank box greeted her. For the first time since she was financially independent, she had no plans for Christmas. _

_Angela chose that exact moment to pop into her office and Brennan hastily clicked to close the window._

"_Good morning Bren. It's the first day of my favourtie month of the year. So which exotic country would you be visiting this year?" The artist asked, absently rubbing her small tummy bump that had recently started to show._

"_I have a few choices in mind and have not made up my mind yet." _

_Angela raised her eyebrows. "You haven't made up your mind." She repeated, a knowing smile on her face. "Or are you looking for alternative plans for Christmas." Angela gave Brennan a mischiveous wink, stood, and made her way out of the office. _

_At the threshold, she turned back and s__aid, "You know sweetie, I think you enjoyed yourself at that Christmas dinner last year. Maybe you should do that again." _

_Brennan frowned and opened her mouth to give her a reply but the artist stood and made an excuse about needing to get started on her mountain of work and was gone before Brennan could get another word in. _

* * *

The familiar woosh of the automatic glass door greeted Booth as he made his way into the Jeffersonian Medico-Legal lab. Going over his list again mentally, he walked purposefully towards his first destination. Booth found Angela sitting on the floor of her office, intently sketching. So focus on her task, the artist was, that at first she did not realise Booth was standing behind her. Booth gave a small cough, causing Angela to whip her head back.

"Booth! What brings you here? Wait, did something happen to Brennan?" A look of panic replaced the joyous smile on Angela's face.

"What? No. Bones is fine. I was actually looking for you." Assured that her best friend isn't in any sort of trouble, the artist turned her charm back on for the FBI agent.

"Oh are you? Well, to what do I owe the honour then."

"Actually, I wanted to ask if you and Hodgins have made any Christmas plans yet." Before she could reply, Hodgins came bursting in the room.

"Hey Ange, ready to go for lunch? Oh hey Booth, didn't see you there. What brings you here? Oh no, did something happen to Dr Brennan?" The entamologist asked in one long breath.

"Woah woah woah, for the second time. Nothing. Is. Wrong. With. Bones." Booth said exsasperated, throwing his arms up for emphasis.

"Agent Booth here just wanted to know if we have any Christmas plans yet." Angela chimed in helpfully.

"Well, we were just going to stay home with Michael Vincent, have a nice quiet dinner and hopefully he will be asleep by 8 and us by 10. Goodness knows we need the rest." Hodgins replied.

"Alternatively, would the three of you be up for Christmas dinner at our place? It's our first Christmas together and I thought it would be nice to start a new Christmas tradition. Nothing fancy, just a family dinner, some wine and presents." Booth asked enthusiastically, a wide smile on him face.

Without warning, Angela gave an excited squeal and threw her arms around Booth, pulling him in for a big hug. Startled by her reaction, Booth was momentarily speechless and allowed himself to be squeezed by the very excited Mrs Hodgins.

"I guess I should take that as a yes?" Booth asked grinning after Angela finally released him.

"Of course. I think it's great there's someone actively trying to change Bren's opinion of Christmas. Goodness knows I've tried my best over the years. Good on you Booth." Angela replied, her husband nodding vigourously beside her. Booth could tell from the expression on the entomologist's face that he was about to launch into some sort of speech and hastily made his retreat by telling the couple that he still had to ask a few other people.

His footsteps echoed as he made his way towards the forensic platform, swiping his access card at the bottom of the steps before making his way up to the platform. The blond intern hunched over the skeleton on the platform looked up upon hearing the beep, a look of surprise crossing his face when he saw the visitor.

"Agent Booth. What are you doing here? Is Dr Brennan back early?" Wendell glanced behind the agent, half expecting to see his mentor.

"Oh no no. She's coming back tomorrow as scheduled. Why does everyone assume me showing up here must have something to do with Bones? Can't I just be here to visit you squints?" Booth complained. Wendell's only reply was to laugh.

"In that case, to what do I owe the honour of your visit?"

"I want to invite you over for Christmas dinner at our place. Would you be up for that?"

A look of surprise came across the intern's face. "Wow, I'm really honoured that you thought of me. Sure, I'll be more than happy to join in the festivities."

"Excellent, I'll fill you in on the details at a later date." Booth started to to walk away but paused as another thought occur to him. "Oh, could you not mention it to Bones yet? I'm trying to keep it as a sort of surprise." The intern gave a him reassuring nod and a thumbs up before returning to his examination of the skeleton, leaving Booth to make his way to his final stop in the lab.

"Hey Cam, before you ask, no there's nothing wrong with Bones. I'm just here to see my old friend."

* * *

_To her annoyance, Angela's words stuck with her for the rest of the day. _

_Despite Brennan's best efforts to distract herself with work, it gnawed at her and caused her to get slightly snappier with her interns than normal and left her drained by the end of the work day. On the drive home, Brennan thoughts drifted to that fateful night on the steps of the Hoover. _

_How everything had changed between Booth and her and propelled them to the far ends of the earth, separated from each other for months. Their relationship had improved upon their return four months ago and although neither has mentioned that night again, Brennan could feel it hanging between them. _

_More than once, she wanted to bring it up, tell Booth that she had changed her mind but could never quite find the right time or the courage to. A part of her wondered if the reason Booth had not brought up the subject was because he had completely moved on. His actions suggested otherwise though. They were spending almost all of their time together, due to Booth's insistence of ensuring that she's eating three square meals a day. It reminded Bones of the days before that night. _

_Hardly seem like the actions of a man ready to look for love elsewhere. _

_She slowed as she neared the traffic junction, looking at the shops at the side of the road while waiting for the light to turn green. _

_It seemed to her that Christmas decorations had sprung up overnight like mushrooms after rain. Fairy lights grace the doors of shops along with an assortment of Christmas trees, styrofoam reindeers and Santa Claus displays sitting in shop windows. _

_Her thoughts returned to Angela's words again. _

_She had enjoyed herself. __In fact, it was the best Christmas she had in a very long time._

_In the years since she had known Angela and Booth, it had gotten harder and harder to keep dreamy Brennan of her teenage years locked up and suppressed in some deep part of her. Booth especially, seemed to have made it his life mission to drag dreamy Brennan out of storage and into the light of day again. _

_T__he light turned green and Brennan returned her focus to the road all the way home. _

_Later that evening, after a quiet dinner of takeout Thai, Brennan allowed herself to entertain thoughts of organizing a Christmas dinner this year. At this hypothetical dinner, she could hypothetically invite her family; Max, Russ, the girls and also her other family. Theoretically, this Christmas dinner could be just as successful as the previous one considering that the guest list is almost identical__. _

_It all sounded perfectly planned out in her mind. _

_Just before she left Maluku, Brennan had promised herself that she would try to be a little more spontaneous and this was a good a time as any to keep that promise. _

_Filled with new determination, she reached for her phone and hit speed dial for Angela's number._

* * *

Booth stood impatiently at the arrival area, eyes scanning the throng of people emerging, searching for her.

He felt her presence before he actually saw her. That inexplicable draw towards her that he had felt since the first time he saw her lecturing that fateful day. A smile form on his face as he spotted her slender form briskly walking, eyes searching for him. Their eyes met and in that one moment, Booth felt like it was the first time again. Her face lit in a smile at the sight of him, mirroring the one already on his face.

God, how he missed her.

Two long weeks without her, it was enough for him to lose his inhibition temporarily and sweep her into deep long kiss once she was within his reach.

The red flush on her cheeks following their little display had Booth thinking how adorable she looked.

Not that he would ever say that out loud. His butt would be kicked so hard, he won't be able to site down properly until after new year.

"Welcome home Bones. I've missed you." He said softly, lightly pressing his forehead against hers.

"So have I Booth. I find that it is now incredibly difficult to fall asleep without you lying next to me."

Booth gave a smug smile in reply, eliciting an immediate respond from his Bones.

He let her say her piece while his hand found its way to its designated spot at the small of her back, guiding her towards his car. Too caught up in taking in every inch of his girlfriend and drunk in her intoxicating scent, Booth realised a little too late that he had not been paying close enough attention to what Bones was saying.

"So Booth would you be agreeable to spending Christmas in Florida with Dad, Russ and the girls? Parker could come too, I already checked with Russ." She turned expectantly to Booth who was now frozen on the spot, his mind racing, trying to come up with a way to convince her to stay in DC for Christmas without spoiling the surprise.

He really should have called up Max sooner.

Damn that drug bust.

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**The second and final chapter will be up tomorrow. :)**


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